Venice May

Venice May, a Paris-based ensemble, revives the shadowy allure of alternative rock spanning the late 1990s into the early 2000s. Melody and atmosphere merge in their dense yet otherworldly approach, evoking A Perfect Circle, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Evanescence. Relying solely on conventional guitar effects rather than synthesizers, the group generated the sweeping atmospheric layers of Illusion Is Inevitable, their self-released debut full-length, issued in late 2018.

Ukraine-born Natalia Samofalova, who handles vocals, guitar, and piano, settled in France during 2010 and connected with French guitarist Vincent Bedfert, her eventual partner. Their relationship led the pair to launch Venice May in 2013. Alongside the earlier cited touchstones, PJ Harvey, Brand New, Sigur Rós, Portishead, and Radiohead further guided their sonic architecture, while Samofalova’s vocals rose and expanded with force akin to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Dolores O’Riordan.

Samofalova and Bedfert oversaw all songwriting and production for the project themselves. Alexey Stetsyuk assisted by mixing and mastering the album in Belarus, joined by bassist Sly and drummer Jeremie. Illusion Is Inevitable, containing the single “Hiding Place,” appeared in September 2018.